(1) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method for processing silver halide color reversal photographic materials, and more particularly to a method for processing silver halide color reversal photographic materials wherein the amount of washing water after the black and white development is considerably decreased, without deteriorating the photographic characteristics.
(2) Description of the Prior Art
Generally, the standard process of processing silver halide color reversal photographic materials (hereinafter referred to simply as color reversal photographic materials) that use negative emulsions consists of a black and white development step, a washing step, a reversing step, a color developing step, a washing and conditioning step, a desilvering step, and a washing and stabilizing step. Recently, in the processing of color photographic materials there have been studies showing that by decreasing considerably the amount of washing water in the washing bath after the desilvering step, the water supply pipeline for supplying washing water can be omitted and the amount of waste water from the whole processing system is thereby reduced, making easy both the treatment of the waste water and its processing to recover water. Techniques of reducing the amount of washing water are described, for example, in Japanese Patent Application (OPI) Nos. 8543/1982, 14834/1983, 184343/1984, 220345/1985, 238832/1985, 239784/1985 and 239749/1985, and in Japanese Patent Application No. 131632/1986.
However, in processing color reversal photographic materials the processing solution components for the black and white development (first development) are carried out into the subsequent color developing bath, the reversing bath, etc., and as such they are liable to accumulate therein and cause deterioration of the photographic performance. To prevent this, previously, the amount of washing water after the black and white development has been increased or the color reversal photographic material has been processed in an acid stop bath and a subsequent washing bath where the amount of washing water is so large that the black and white development solution components are prevented from being carried over into the subsequent bath.
Such methods of processing reversal color photographic materials are described, for example, in Shashin Kogyo, No. 36, Vol. IV, pages 22 to 26 (March 1978), and in Color Photographic Development/Practice of Enlargement (edition of film development) in Shashin Kogyo, an extra issue, pages 41 to 46 (May 1975).
Therefore, in conventional methods of processing color reversal photographic materials the generation of a large amount of waste water has not been avoided, and the treatment of the waste water and the recovery of water are serious problems.